


Magic Cocoa

by RoseAmaranth



Series: IronStrange Countdown to Christmas [10]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cute, Fluff, Hot Chocolate, IronStrange, M/M, Peter is a Little Shit, Pining, Pre-Relationship, countdown to christmas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:22:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21782143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseAmaranth/pseuds/RoseAmaranth
Summary: Stephen Strange is a bit of a.,.hot cocoa snob. He can't help it. His mother created the best recipe for hot chocolate ever, and any he tasted after that just didn't compare. Totally unrelated to this fact (so he tries to claim, anyway), Tony Stark is searching for theperfecthot cocoa recipe since the one he used (typical powdered stuff) just wasn't good enough for some people.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: IronStrange Countdown to Christmas [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558807
Comments: 6
Kudos: 70





	Magic Cocoa

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: There is no actual 'magic' in the cocoa. Sorry to disappoint!
> 
> **IronStrange Countdown to Christmas – Day 10: Hot chocolate and peppermint**

Winter in New York was almost always freezing cold. There may be one or two days that were more mild, the sun poking out and the winds carrying less bite than normal, but a majority of the time? It was cold. Cold. _Cold._ Not that it stopped anyone from venturing out into the city to carry on with their daily lives. The streets were always crowded, the sidewalks jammed, and people more snappish and grouchy than usual. Mix in snow or ice, and it wasn't the most pleasant place to be.

That's why Stephen preferred the Village to Manhattan. Less street congestion, fewer people crowding the streets, and fewer curse words being thrown around as people tried to hurry through the cold. It was quieter and the people were far nicer. Ms. Shannon down the street always had a smile, which brightened his day no matter how stressed he was, or how aggravated Wong was making him, and seeing the kids playing in the snow managed to cheer him up immensely. 

Today he was brewing some hot chocolate for the kids he waved to only minutes ago, humming a song stuck in his head for days as he went along. Most people made their hot chocolate in the microwave with powder and water, but his mother taught him a recipe that beat out any name brand hot chocolate out there. Including the ones Tony Stark liked to make for his Christmas parties.

Wait until he brought his special recipe this year. Tony was going to eat his heart out!

He stirred the creamy concoction and tapped the spoon on the pot, ignoring Wong peeking around to see just what smelled so delicious. His mother's recipe won competitions; it would certainly please the pallet of someone like Wong, who could be a bit of a snob about his sweets.

(Though, to be fair, Stephen was too.)

After he arranged the styrofoam cups and filled them with the drink, he stuck a few marshmallows in them and finished them off with chocolate shavings and the lids.

“Wong, stop standing there and help me pass these out to those kids. Before they get too cold and leave.” 

Stephen stepped out of the portal and into the warm living room, catching the scent of warming chocolate nearly instantly. He collapsed the portal and ventured near the kitchen where he could hear someone singing and dishes clanging against the counter, pots, and glasses. Someone was having a mini-concert in his kitchen, and Stephen had an idea of who it might be. He was not surprised Tony could carry a tune because the man could do everything (except make hot chocolate better than Stephen..and wield magic). The dancing singing man spun around and nearly fell on the ground when he caught Stephen leaning against the wall watching him.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Always the dramatic. Stephen moved further into the kitchen, trying to see what Tony was cooking up. Hot chocolate...some kind of snack...toppings. Maybe the kids were coming over soon.

“I need to go over something with you. If you have a minute?” Tony turned and crossed his arms, raising a brow at Stephen. It was hard to be intimidated by CEO Tony Stark when he was wearing a red Christmas sweater, had reading glasses perched on his nose, and had the fluffiest dark hair. He looked more like a kitten than someone Stephen should be afraid of. So, he smiled. 

“You couldn't text like a normal person? Honestly, Stephen...” A timer went off and Tony turned back to the stove, muttering under his breath. With the man busy, he turned away and went to find somewhere to sit so they could talk. There was something he and Wong were watching, and he figured Tony might want to know about it. Just in case. 

Okay, maybe he was finding an excuse to come to Stark's place, but no one had to know that. Well, no one but Wong, who gave him the most unimpressed look he's ever received when he mentioned he was going to Tony's. And he was friends with Christine. 

He supposed he could also ask about the holiday party coming up, because he was dying to bring his own hot chocolate, have a little competition with Stark, but it would be rude to just show up with it.

“Here.” He blinked up at Tony, who was holding out a steaming mug that said _'Let It Go'_ in ice blue. 'Frozen'. He mumbled his thanks and accepted the drink with a smile. He was kind of doing that more and more lately. Even Wong was saying how less of a grump he was being. It felt nice not to be brooding and straight-laced all the time; to have a little fun and laugh some. He was still serious about his work, but other times? He was learning to relax again. To live life.

It felt good.

“So, what was it that you needed to tell- What are you doing?!” Stephen glanced up as if he was a child caught stealing cookies from the kitchen. He only had crushed candy cane in his hand to sprinkle in his drink. Stephen loved the combination of peppermint and chocolate. In fact, he often used a candy cane to stir his hot chocolate while sipping from it and flipping through books. It was one of the few things keeping him sane through college and then residency. 

Tony, however, looked like he was about to add eyeballs or mouse turds to it.

“Um, adding candy cane to my drink?” The wrinkled expression was a little too cute for Stephen to not smile at, an urge to reach out and pinch Tony's cheek washing over him. But he was still Stephen Strange M.D and he had incredible self-control. So, instead, he snorted and magicked a candy cane into his hand. Tony glared at it like it was a gun pointed at him or something. 

“You're going to defile my hot chocolate with _that?_ How could you?” Stephen rolled his eyes and stuck the end of the candy cane into his drink, spluttering a laugh at the sound Tony made. This was so ridiculous; a grown man getting so upset over how another grown man enjoyed his drink.

And this was not like the time he found Tony brewing coffee with Red Bull. No, that was just unhealthy. 

“Take it easy, Tony. I just like a hint of mint in my cocoa. Besides, your cocoa could use the flavor boost from what I remember.” Of course, he was merely trying to tease Tony, but the man looked like he threw the cocoa in the sink right in front of him. Like his feelings were hurt.

“I, um, this was different. But now I guess you won't even be able to tell because you put that stupid thing in it.” He stopped stirring, watching Tony staring down into his drink. 

“Different?” He peered into his mug. “Different how? Brand?” Tony shook his head.

“No. Not- I looked up this...It's stupid.” He was not speaking any complete sentences at this point. Stephen sipped his drink, humming as the chocolate mint washed over his taste buds. It was rich and actually really delicious. Nothing like store-bought, now that he thought about it.

“Sentences, Stark.” Thankfully, Tony huffed a laugh. And looked a little less like a sad puppy.

“I looked up recipes to make better hot chocolate. And Rhodey helped me go through a few. This was one of the new ones we both liked, and I figured I could test it out on you, mister Cocoa Expert.” Stephen snorted.

“It's 'Doctor', Tony.” There was a moment of easy silence, both men sipping the cocoa. It _was_ actually really good; far better than the stuff he had at the Christmas party last year. And he made sure to say so, because clearly Tony was out to impress this year.

“Yeah? You think it's really good?” Stephen finished it off and sighed, setting the mug on the coffee table. 

“Definitely a massive improvement, Stark. Just nearly as good as my mother's.” His compliment seemed to please Tony, easing the nagging guilt he had for hurting his feelings a few minutes ago. They shared a smile and then Stephen cleared his throat.

“Now, on to the reason I'm here...” They were interrupted by footsteps and laughter, Peter and some friends walking into the room with backpacks on. Clearly just out of school. When they were noticed, Peter's expression had Stephen covering a laugh.

“Oh hi, Doctor Strange!”

“So this is the wizard, Pete?”

“He looks kinda like one. Just missing the hat.” 

“Oh, Mister Stark, did you make the cocoa? Did he like it?” Tony took that moment to jump up and lead the kids from the room, cutting off Peter's questions as he pulled him along. It was rather amusing, watching Tony with the kids. The man clearly cared about them a lot, always aiming to please them and give them the best possible guidance and life he could; which, as a billionaire, was quite the good one.

“Sorry about them. Peter texted earlier asking if he and his friends could come here and study. It's what the cocoa was for. I'm trying to perfect it for the Christmas Party.” A portal opened in the middle of the living room, both men turning to find Wong poking through. Of course, he didn't even look apologetic for interrupting Stephen and Tony. Stephen offered as grumpy of a look as he possibly could.

“Strange. We're needed in Kamar-Taj.” His gaze flicked over to Tony. “I apologize for interrupting...business, Mister Stark.” Stephen jumped to his feet before Wong could say anything embarrassing around Tony. His robes appeared as he hurried to the portal, the cloak flying through and settling on his shoulders. Wong disappeared inside once more, though not before he could give Stephen a look.

He turned back to Tony, who was standing with mugs in hand, still looking like a cuddly kitten. Stupid Kamar-Taj. He nodded his goodbye and stepped through.

-

Tony felt the tension ease from his shoulders the second the portal disappeared from his living room, and only part of that was due to the lingering anxiety portals caused him. 

“Mister Stark?” Right. He had other things to worry about. Gathering himself, he met Peter's knowing eyes. 

“Everything okay, Pete?” Tony wasn't usually one to make meaningless conversation, and neither was Peter, so of course they got straight to the point. Normally, Tony preferred this. Meaningless conversation was wasting time and talking around whatever was important. In this instance, however, he would kind of prefer that.

“Did he like it, Mister Stark?” Yep. Right to it. Tony threw an arm around the growing teen – soon, he would be unable to do that without having to lean up some - and led them back to the kitchen. Tony was hardly a mystery, so when Rhodey and Peter found him hunched over cocoa recipes one day instead of blueprints, they knew something was up. It only took a couple days for them to figure out it had to do with Stephen, which was pretty impressive considering Tony was trying to keep that information to himself.

He was never good at that, especially with Rhodey, so he wasn't really sure why he bothered. Habit, probably.

Tony didn't normally care what people thought of him, of things he made, but at the previous Christmas party – one Doctor Strange was attending for the...second time? He couldn't remember if he was there the year before last. - he noticed a certain wizard wrinkling his nose at a cup of cocoa offered to him and then casually setting it on a table. He had too good of manners to say something directly, but Tony had seen and, well, okay. He liked the wizard. No shame in admitting it, right? 

Well, maybe there was a little shame in spending hours perfecting a cocoa recipe for someone he probably didn't have a shot with, but that was Tony Stark.

Whatever. He wanted to make cocoa even Doctor Strange would love. Not like- _love_. What was the saying? A way to a man's heart is through his stomach? Well, maybe this would be the case with a certain wizard and hot chocolate. 

Of course, then said wizard had to have dubious taste buds. Who the hell liked chocolate and _mint?!_ It was like drinking milk after brushing your teeth! A crime against chocolate, honestly. 

Regardless of his...preferred food sins, Stephen seemed to like it. Tony figured comparing it to Ms. Strange's recipe was a massive compliment; unless Stephen was teasing him. It was hard to tell sometimes. 

“Peter, you can call me Tony. Haven't we gone over this before?” Peter snorted, as did his friends.

“Come on, Mister Stark. We're dying to know.” MJ turned in he seat, face carefully blank.

“They took bets.” Peter's eyes widened.

“ _MJ!_ ” Ned seemed to be trying to find something to say, a way to defend them, but Tony only laughed and set the mugs in the sink. Peter and his friends finished theirs as well, so he cleaned that too.

“Mister Stark...” Oh alright. 

“He did. Don't you guys have homework to do?” Peter cheered and held his hand out to Ned, doing some weird dance in victory. MJ covered a laugh and returned to her work.

“This is going in my speech at their wedding. Brought together by magic cocoa.” Tony huffed and left the kids to do whatever it was they were doing. He found himself staring out over the city, maybe trying to pick out a certain building in downtown. Maybe trying to hide a smile of his own.

**Author's Note:**

> So, much like Tony here, I despise mint and chocolate together. Like those chocolate mint candies they sometimes give out at restaurants? Can't stand them! And don't get me started on mint chocolate chip....
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! :) Xx
> 
> EDIT: I just realized this is my 100th fic! That's pretty crazy. And really awesome. ^_^


End file.
